The Sorrows of Happiness City
by Drako the Black Dragon
Summary: Centuries have passed since humans have taken over the diamond-rich Yoshi's Island and turned it into a utopia. But how much of a utopia is it to the island natives?
1. The Yoshi Dwellings

**CHAPTER ONE**

"C'mon! Keep it movin'!" the driver shouted over the cracking of the whip and the yelping of the multicolored Yoshis. Crick wiped the sweat from his brow and tried his hardest to ignore the searing pain in what seemed like every part of his body. He imagined what this place might have been like all that time ago, when it was still called Yoshi's Island instead of Happiness City.

The island was not the Yoshis' anymore. Hundreds of years ago, it had been taken over by humans, and the natives were forced to be their slaves. Their descendants still worked in much the same way, and were whipped if they stopped to rest.

Crick was what was called a "Regular Delinquent." No matter how many scars he received on his turquoise back, he would never do a full day's work or stop pranking the other Yoshis unlucky enough to be assigned to the Diamond Mines.

He listened to the Supervisors as he struck his pickaxe against the wall of Mine 84-J. usually they had just their casual, unimportant human conversation. But now, what he heard startled him.

"'Ey! Y'know dat one Yushee, see da one right dere?"

"Yeah, 'is name's Crick, er somefin of da surt."

"Yeah, Crick. I over'eard sum of da Majors tukin' 'bout 'im."

"Well, dun kip me in suspinse! Whud dey say?"

"Sid dey might put 'im down tinite. Ya know, kill 'im."

"Serves 'im right, da lazy devil!"

The two Supervisors burst out in laughter, but Crick wasn't laughing with them. His face went pale. He was going to be put down. He was going to die.

That is, if he didn't do anything about it!

**=X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X=**

The sound of footsteps echoed through the Sleeping Halls, waking every Yoshi that wasn't already up and setting them hoping desperately that it was not a Grimn. Grimns were the most feared positions of Yoshi Keepers. They were the ones who took disobedient Yoshis to the Execution Rooms.

The seven Yoshis in Sleeping Hall 79-B were already awake. Ellizar was on lookout duty. "You guys had better hurry up," he whispered. Everyone always whispered in Sleeping Hall 79-B. None of them wanted to be heard or to have their antics discovered. Every one of them was marked Delinquent by the Supervisors. They were a group of habitual troublemakers.

Especially Crick, the Regular Delinquent.

Rokabi's purple hands moved fast as he tied one bed sheet to another in his signature Trust Knots to make a sort of rope around his best friend's waist. "Crick, I knew it would come to this! Now we're never going to see each other again! Oh, why didn't you listen?"

"Ssh!" Graciel hissed. "I think I hear something!"

She did. Ellizar stared fearfully into the darkness to find the source of the sound…

It was a tall figure, wearing the conventional black robes and blue cape of a Grimn. "Code Licorice! Code Licorice!" he half-whispered, half-screamed.

"Code Licorice?!" Rokabi repeated in terror. "That means there's no time! Crick, you have to hurry! We've got to get you out of here—NOW!!!"

Without another word, he threw the window open, tied one of the sheets to the latch for locking out drafts and shoved Crick out into the night.


	2. Freedom

**CHAPTER TWO**

Crick was tumbling through the air at a high speed. He was more scared than he had ever been in his life. His thoughts swirled in a confused jumble of fear and anxiety. What if he hit his head on the side of the building hard enough to dash his brains out? What if a loose knot gave way, making the rope lose its hold on him and send him crashing to the ground? What if the Grimn looked out of the window and saw his would-be escapade, only to meet him at the bottom and bring him to the Execution Rooms anyway? Rokabi, Ellizar, Chervil, Graciel, Neddik, and Allinkin... All their efforts to save him would be in vain. He would die.

He tried to clear his mind of all the troubling thoughts and instead focused on the sensation of the wind rushing past him as he spiraled toward Earth. He was falling. He was falling. He was falling, more than likely to his death. He was falling…

He was falling, but for the first time in his life, he was _free._

His fear and anticipation was replaced by joy. He was free. Free! No more working in the cramped tunnels of the Diamond Mines! No more listening to the Supervisors making fun of him! No more scarcely surviving on horrible cafeteria food which left a bad aftertaste in your mouth for weeks! No more fearing the Grimns who come in the night to take sleeping Yoshis to their doom! He was free!!!

He wanted to scream. He wanted to cry. He thought he was going to explode with all of the happiness bubbling up inside of him. He was free.

The rope jerked taut, flipping him over without a tad of warning. His hands were shaking so hard he could barely untie the knot around his waist. He dropped to the ground, then took off in the direction of the Northern Half as fast as his legs could carry him.

He was free, and he didn't want that freedom to be ruined by a Supervisor who just happened to peer out of the window and bring him back inside to be caught by a Grimn.

**=X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X=**

Crick opened his eyes slowly, surprised that he had woken up before the Morning Bell. He looked over to see the clock so he could know how much longer he had to sleep before he fell out of bed in a wild attempt to get ready for Roll Call in less than a minute.

But he didn't see the clock. He saw wild grasses, dotted here and there by colorful, sweet-smelling flowers. He grinned as he remembered the events of the previous night. This wasn't the Yoshi Dwellings, this was Bliss Meadow. Yoshis often dreamed of this place. Everyone knew it was the most beautiful place on the island. For every Yoshi in the Dwellings, many a day of work had been just barely survived because they had occupied their mind with vivid imaginings of Bliss Meadow. And now that Crick saw it with his own eyes, he found that it was even prettier than he could have ever dreamed.

He stood up, stretched, and continued on his journey. As reluctant as he was to leave this place, he knew that he had to get to the Happiness City Docks at all costs. Time was not something he could afford to waste.


	3. Prey to be Hunted

**CHAPTER THREE**

Happiness City. He had made it.

The buildings were made of diamond, reflecting the moon a thousand times in the night. **_So this is the reason for the mines, _**Crick realized. However, even after all the agony he had suffered when bringing these precious gems to the surface, he wasn't angry. He couldn't imagine being angry at that moment. That was how beautiful the city was.

So he was here. The capital. The humans living in it grew so proud of their home over time that they had renamed the entire island after it. In all honesty, Crick could understand why.

He wandered through the gorgeous streets, grateful for the cover of darkness. Whenever he heard a human coming, he would hide and wait for them to pass. He had come much too far to mess up now.

Eventually he made it to the Docks. The cold sea breeze blew over his scales as he tried to find a boat to hide in until morning came, and he would sail far, far away to the mainland, where Yoshis were allowed to run free instead of being cooped up in dusty old mines all day.

"Hey you," someone said from behind him, "Thinking of stowing away?"

Crick whirled around. He'd been discovered!

Luckily for him, it was another Yoshi. He wore a patch over his left eye, and his black color must have made it easy for him to hide in the shadows…wait, black?

Black Yoshis were the rarest of their kind. Crick had never dreamed that he might one day meet one. "Yes," he answered the Yoshi's question, "Are you coming too?"

The black Yoshi shook his head. "No use. The only boats leaving the harbor are coming right back here again. There won't be any to the mainland for months. Anyway, what's your name?"

"Crick. Yours?"

"Erm… Fluffy," he mumbled. Crick couldn't help but giggle. "Fluffy?! That's ridiculous!" Fluffy scowled. "Yes, I know. Can we please move on now?"

"Sure… _Fluffy._" He burst out laughing. What a stupid name!

"Ssh!" Fluffy hissed, annoyed. "I hear someone coming! Hide in that barrel over there!"

And so the two of them crouched hidden in the barrel. Fluffy peered out of a hole in the side. A tall figure approached, wearing a black robe and a blue cape. He still remembered that figure from the time he had spent in the Yoshi Dwellings all those years ago… But what would a Grimn be doing so far north?

Nonetheless, his heart beat faster at the sight of it. There had always been something about the sight of one that had made even his hardened heart tremble with fright. He flinched as the Grimn turned its masked face to the barrel the Yoshis hid in. Although he could not see its eyes, he could've sworn it was staring straight at them.

Whether it had seen them or not, it turned around and walked back the other way. Fluffy hadn't even realized that he had been holding his breath, but he released it in a sigh of relief. "Okay Crick," he whispered, "We can get out now."

"Finally!" the turquoise Yoshi breathed as he heaved himself out of the barrel after him. "You know, you really need to lose some pounds. I swear, you were crushing my ribs just now."

"Shut up!" Fluffy growled, "Do you know how annoying you are?! Besides, I bet you haven't guessed what I just saw."

"Was I supposed to?"

"A Grimn was here, and I get the feeling it was looking for us."

"But why? The Dwellings are so far south!"

Fluffy thought for a moment. It really didn't make sense. A Yoshi Keeper wouldn't go through all the trouble to come here in search of one escapee. They certainly hadn't when he had broken out. Unless, of course…

"Crick?" he began, "Were you ever marked by a Supervisor?"

"Yep! I'm a proud Regular Delinquent. Why?"

"You idiot!" Fluffy barked, "Now we're both in danger! They will do whatever it takes to hunt you down and kill you! They think you're too much of a bad influence on the Yoshis that are still working!"

Great. Thanks to his new acquaintance, he was going to spend the rest of his life hiding in barrels waiting for the Grimns to pass. But it was inevitable that they would eventually find them. They never lost a victim. And so he was going to die at their hands too, not for doing anything wrong, but for being a close friend of a wrongdoer.

Oh, why did these things have to happen to him?


	4. The Library

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Fluffy stared up at the full moon and listened to the chimes of the Big Clock. _Dong-ding-dong-ding, dong-ding-dong-ding, dong-ding-dong-ding… Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong._ Midnight. If it was so late, then why wasn't he tired at all? Crick had long since fallen asleep next to him. He knew it couldn't be that the clock was wrong; the Big Clock was never wrong. It was on the highest tower of the Happiness City Library, and it controlled every other clock on the island. It couldn't afford to be wrong.

Then he remembered something. When he had been about Crick's age in the Yoshi Dwellings and the Grimns had come to take away the Regular Delinquents around this time of night, he would always be curious and always peer out the window to catch a glimpse of the tall, black shape as it passed. Every time he did so, he found that for the rest of the night, sleep was not an option. There was something weird about these Grimns, that was for sure…

**=X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X=**

_Dong-ding-dong-ding, dong-ding-dong-ding, dong-ding-dong-ding... Dong. Dong._ It was 2:00 AM. The earliest fishermen would be waking up soon and getting in their boats. "Crick," Fluffy whispered, "Wake up, Sleeping Beauty," but to no avail. The other Yoshi slept like a log. Grumbling to himself, Fluffy kicked him awake, not caring if Crick was not happy with him when he woke up.

Crick was not happy with him when he woke up.

"Ouch! Stop it!" Crick growled, angry that he had been woken from such a wonderful dream about a forest with trees made of licorice, ground made of pancakes, and clouds that rained orange soda. Such a wonderful dream…

"Well jeez, sorr-ee. The humans will be awake soon, and if they find us, we're both dead!"

"Yes, wonderful… 5 more minutes… I want some of that rain…"

Fluffy had no idea what he was talking about, but that didn't matter. He grabbed Crick by his tail and dragged him off toward the city.

**=X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X=**

"I think this is the safest place for us to hide while the sun's out. We should start traveling by night instead of by day, to avoid detection. Got it, Crick? …Crick? Crick!"

Crick lay next to him in the basement of the Happiness City Library, snoring quietly. Fluffy had discovered a storm drain that led here long ago, and ever since, the place had been his home. He sighed. If Crick slept, that was no problem of his. Besides, it didn't seem like so much of a bad idea; after all, they were going to be nocturnal for quite a while. He still couldn't sleep himself, though, so he walked upstairs to see what was going on.

The Big Clock chimed 10, and the library was busting with visitors. Fluffy ran here and there, trying to hear some of the conversation going on, careful to hide so he would not be noticed. Most of it had no importance, and he was beginning to consider going back down to the basement when he heard two high school-age boys talking with each other.

"Is it true that this place actually used to be called Yoshi's Island?"

"Yep, before the diamonds were discovered. Why?"

"I don't know, it's just so hard to believe. Before I moved from the mainland, they used to be everywhere. And now here, they've been extinct since before we were born."

Extinct? What would make them think that they had ever been extinct? There were still Yoshis here, weren't there? He was fighting off the urge to show himself and prove them wrong when he saw him.

A Major.


	5. A Rare Day Off

**CHAPTER FIVE**

Back at the Mines, life continued more-or-less like it normally did.

No, nevermind, not at all like it normally did.

It just wasn't the same without Crick.

Every morning, Rokabi would wake up expecting to have Magic Marker all over his face or his hand in a glass of warm water. This morning was no exception. He got out of bed and first made sure that there was no water in the room, then walked over to the mirror. His face was still perfectly normal. He sighed.

"Well, aren't you up early?" Allinkin said cheerfully, hanging upside-down from her bunk. "The others are still sleeping… Lazies."

Rokabi noticed that sunlight was pouring through the window. That was weird… He hadn't heard the Morning Bell yet, but it usually tolled before the break of dawn every day. No holidays, no exceptions. "Have we missed Roll Call?" he whimpered fearfully.

"Nope, I've been up all night working and the Bell still hasn't rung." She grabbed the bunk's railing and stiffened her arms.

"What do you mean it hasn't rung?" He knew her well enough to guess what she was going to do before she did it. Oh, Chervil was not going to like this…

"Exactly what I said. It hasn't rung." She kicked up her legs and flipped over, kicking Chervil in the face as a very painful way of waking him up. "Oops!" she giggled, "Sorry! That was an accident!"

"Accident?!" he snapped back, "You've been doing that for the past month! That's no accident!"

The fuss had woken Ellizar and he was watching the action amusedly. "Wow, Allinkin. You managed to get more than three syllables out of him. That's impressive!"

Everyone laughed but Rokabi and, of course, Chervil himself. Rokabi turned to Allinkin as she lowered herself to the ground. "Are you sure there was no Bell?" he asked doubtfully, "I mean, why wouldn't it ring?"

She took off her safety goggles and placed them on the small table in front of the mirror. "I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if it had something to do with our runaway friend."

"Crick?"

"Yes, of course Crick. Who else would be crazy enough to jump out of a window in the middle of the night with Grimns crawling around everywhere, hunting them down?"

Chervil had taken his usual place in the corner with his trusty sketchbook and pen. His brother had busied himself shaking the others awake. "Wake up!" he chanted, "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! It's Code Cream Puff! Wake up! Code Cream Puff!"

Neddik was the last one he got to. He yawned and swatted at him angrily. "Leave me alone… Wait, Cream Puff? That's…" After trying and failing to remember what Code Cream Puff meant, he continued, "…really stupid. Y'know, Ellizar, sometimes I think you just think of a sugary treat of some kind and announce a code right on the spot. What does Code Cream Puff mean?"

"We've got the whole day off."

"What?!"

"The Morning Bell never rang, so the Work Bell never rang either."

Neddik jumped out of bed excitedly. "Sweet! More time to spend with Gra—" He covered his mouth and blushed even redder than he already was as he saw Graciel walk past him. "I mean…with my friends…of course…"

He watched her pass, quickly averting his eyes and feeling even more color rush to his face when she looked at him.

"Oooo!" Ellizar teased. "Someone's in loo-oove!"

"Shut up!" Neddik hissed, "Don't let her hear that!"

**=X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X=**

"Got any sevens?"

"Nope. Got any kings?"

"Go fish."

Rokabi looked up from his hand over at the corner. Chervil hadn't moved all day. "Should we ask him if he wants to play? I feel kind of bad leaving him out like this…"

"Nah," Allinkin replied, "You know him. He hates us all."

"Not Ellizar."

"But your name isn't Ellizar."

Rokabi stood up anyway and walked to the yellow Yoshi in the corner. He didn't appear to notice him. "May I see what you're drawing?" he whispered, as was the custom of Sleeping Hall 79-B. Chervil bared his teeth, clutching the sketchbook to his chest. "No," he growled, "What do you want?"

Rokabi hesitated for a moment, then held out his hand. "Why don't you come out here and play cards with me and Allinkin?"

"What? I would never dream of playing such childish games! Now would you be so kind as to leave me in peace?" He turned back to his drawing and said nothing else.

Before returning to his game, Rokabi took one last look at him. "My offer always stands."

Chervil just snorted in response.


	6. Eavesdropping

**CHAPTER SIX**

Fluffy froze. Had the Major seen him? He darted back in the direction that he had come, looking over his shoulder several times to make sure he wasn't being chased. He was about to run downstairs when he suddenly got a better idea. The Major hadn't chased him, so he probably hadn't been spotted…

He climbed one of the highest bookshelves and hopped from the top of one shelf to the top of another. Eventually he was close enough to hear the Major speak in a low voice to someone who Fluffy could not see very clearly due to a tall potted plant blocking his view.

"They are somewhere in this city, that's all I can tell you," the Major whispered.

"That's all?" a male voice demanded. "You have to have something else for me to go on! What do they look like? Are they in the same place? What are their names?"

"Calm down!" the Major warned, "And don't talk so loudly! You'll attract attention! I would be careful if I were you… You remember the quiet one, don't you?" He reached into a bag slung over his shoulder, pulled out a folded piece of paper, and slid it across the table. "Here's his picture."

Fluffy heard the mysterious man unfolding the paper. "Oh, him? The stowaway? Sure I do. Nasty elusive, that little bugger. I've been chasing him since you first hired me, and I still haven't caught him."

"If you, our top professional, still haven't caught him, then I'm afraid he might be smarter than we thought."

"Smart? Bah! The little abominations don't have a single drop of intelligence in their puny brains."

"You may be right. Anyway, he's only part of the reason I called you here. Another one escaped."

"I told you ten years ago, and I'll tell you again: You need better security! Those Grimns ain't what they're cracked up to be. Useless, that's what they are."

The Major caught his breath. "Count your blessings one of them didn't hear you say that. Our new little runaway is somewhere within city limits. The stowaway is likely here too, if he hasn't died yet. Not to mention the others who snuck out with him."

The stranger laughed coldly. "I bet he has. I bet they all have. They ain't built to survive in the city."

"Whether he has or hasn't, we want you to catch them."

"Oh, you do, now? What's in it for me?"

"For each one you can capture, we will give you two thousand dollars. Three thousand for the stowaway and our new escapee."

"I want twenty-five hundred minimum."

The Major hesitated a moment, then agreed. "Twenty-five hundred. As you wish, Markus."

"Now you're making some sense. I'll get right on it."

There was the sound of scooting chairs and footsteps retreating to the library entrance. Fluffy waited until he was sure they were gone before returning to the basement. He had a sneaking suspicion that he might know what they were talking about…


	7. Not So Alone

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

Crick was already awake when Fluffy came down to the basement. "I'm hungry," the turquoise dinosaur complained, "Did you bring any food?"

"We have more important things than that to worry about," Fluffy hissed. "Keep your voice down. The Majors have hired a bounty hunter. This guy is the best of the best in his field. It's only a matter of time before he checks this basement."

"Is he after us?" Crick whispered, now realizing the seriousness of the situation. Had he really believed he could escape the mines forever that easily?

"He's after any Yoshi he can find outside the Dwellings. We have to get moving. This place is not safe anymore." He grabbed Crick by the arm and ran as fast as he could. Where he was running to, he did not know. He was running away. He was headed anywhere, as long as it was away from here.

At last, he stopped in a secluded alleyway. He knew it was only a matter of time before their pursuer caught up to them, and this would be the first place he'd look. Still, it was as decent a place as any to rest for a moment and catch their breath. Besides, Fluffy needed to stop somewhere to try to figure out just where they were at the moment. The two of them were far from the library. He had not been to this part of the city in years. Even after trying hard to remember where each of the streets led, he could only form a vague map in his mind, rendered inaccurate in places by any streets that had been added or blocked off within the last two decades or so.

Crick could tell Fluffy was concentrating hard on something. He didn't want to disturb him, in case it could be important to both of their chances of survival. However, one question had tirelessly nagged at the back of his mind ever since they had left the library basement, like the buzzing of insect that flew too fast to be killed, but was impossible to get used to. Eventually, he could take it no longer, and Fluffy still showed no signs of loosening his focus. "Fluffy," he said quietly, "can I ask you something?"

For a while, the older Yoshi was silent. Crick wasn't sure if he had heard him until he grumbled, "Well, if you want to ask, what are you waiting for?"

"Back at the library, you said this guy who's chasing us was after any Yoshi he could find here. Does that mean there are others?"

Fluffy realized he had forgotten to tell him. He couldn't have been expecting him to know about the Project already, could he?

"Yes," he answered, "Counting us, there are ten total. We hide here in the city, and wait for the right time to escape. Originally, we were all in one place. Once the bounty hunter was first hired, one year after we had all arrived, we decided it would be safer to split up. I haven't seen any of the others since. However, I think it's time for a reunion."

He motioned to Crick to stand up, and then led him quickly and silently away from the alley. He vaguely remembered the Project's last official meeting, when they had decided who would go to what part of Happiness City. Fluffy had been given the easternmost piece, containing the docks and the library. They were near the heart of the city now. He could see the enormous park which marked the very center. The pond shone clear and smooth as glass, the grass was such a bright shade of green it almost looked fake, and the trees stood tall and proud. It was a nice day; many families were having picnics on the low rising hills. Luckily, they did not have to risk being seen by so many witnesses. Fluffy warned Crick to be as quiet as he possibly could. They snuck to one of the mightiest trees on the outskirts of the park. Fluffy looked around to make sure the coast was clear, and then knocked on the bark in a definite pattern. Tap-tap-taptap-tap-taptaptap-taptaptaptap.

A few seconds passed, but nothing happened. A little bit longer. Then, just when Crick was beginning to think Fluffy was only messing with his head, and there really were no more hiding Yoshis within city limits, a well-concealed door opened. It had been hidden among the tree's bark. A brown Yoshi peered out timidly, shielding his eyes against the sun, as if it had been years since he had last seen the light of day. His face and body were harshly battle-scarred, giving the impression of age, but his bright, keen eyes told a different story. When he spoke, his voice also sounded young and unsure. "Fluffy?" he said softly, to avoid drawing attention, "Is that really you?"

"Yes, Drax," his old friend replied, "It's me. May we come in? I think we have a great deal to talk about."


	8. Missing Numbers

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

Fluffy had just finished explaining about Crick, where he came from, the encounter with a Grimn at the docks, and why the two of them were here. "We need to warn the others. They're offering much more money to the hunter than they were before, and there's no way he could turn it down this time."

They were inside the tree trunk, which had been partially hollowed out to provide a small hiding place for the daytime. Drax the brown Yoshi only ventured out at night, for fear of being seen by the park's visitors. It was not very roomy, so the three of them had little elbow room inside.

"By the way," Fluffy added, "Why are you in the park? If I remember right, wasn't it Silba who was given the city's center? Where is she?"

Drax shook his head solemnly. "Silba has vanished. None of us remaining know where."

"Remaining? How many are left?"

"Out of our original nine, four are still capable of helping the Project. Five, with your new recruit. Habar is dead. Froll has lost both of his eyes, his right hand, and his will to live. Bertzaki is so busy trying to keep him alive, she has all but forgotten the Project entirely. And Taribel…" He looked sadly at Fluffy. "I'm sorry. She has gone completely insane."

Fluffy's face was contorted by disbelief, then sadness, then rage. "What?" he barked, "Is there any way to bring her back to normal?"

Drax hung his head. "If we knew how, Froll would have taken care of it years ago. Now, I strongly doubt he'll want to heal anyone anytime soon."

Fluffy's anger faded back into grief. "I want to see her," he said shakily, "Where is she?"

"She won't remember you," Drax warned, "Seeing her will only make you feel worse."

"I don't care!"

Drax sighed. There was clearly no chance of talking any sense into him. "Alright, you win. She is with Jero, under the northern gate."

Instantly upon hearing this, Fluffy threw the door open and ran. Crick glanced back at Drax, confused, then followed. It took a lot of work to keep up with Fluffy. Whoever this Taribel person was, she obviously meant a lot to him.

**=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=**

By the time they had reached the city's northern tip, both of them had aching legs from the amount and speed of running. Still, Fluffy didn't even pause. He darted to the wall, quite a few feet away from the city's gates, and repeated the same knocking pattern on the ground at the wall's foot. This time, the response came much more quickly. An indigo Yoshi holding a lantern opened another hidden door, this time disguised as part of the cobblestone street, and ushered them in almost immediately. A slope led deeper underground, into a complex series of tunnels.

It was easy to see why she had brought the lantern. It was almost pitch dark under the city. The tunnels only wound under the northern territory she had been assigned. Although they sprawled out for miles in every direction, twenty years still had not been enough time to network her entire area. The city was huge, and always growing.

After walking in silence for at least five minutes, she led them into a cavernous room. It appeared to be a makeshift kitchen, furnished with only a small wooden table, nine wooden chairs, a few flint rocks in a corner, some stacks of firewood, and several holes in the walls for storing any food gathered from foraging at night. She set the lantern down on the table and took a seat, wordlessly offering for the two of them to do the same. Upon noticing Fluffy's troubled expression, she already knew why he was here. She hesitated, then decided to speak. "You're here for Taribel, aren't you?"

Fluffy was silent for a while. Finally, he whispered, "Where is she?"

The indigo Yoshi, who Crick guessed was Jero, nodded sadly. "I'll take you to her." She stood up. The others followed as she led them deeper into the labyrinth of tunnels she had dug over the years in an attempt to make herself, and eventually also Taribel, harder to find if her hiding place were ever to be discovered.

Crick couldn't keep quiet for this long. He was curious. He needed to ask questions. The silence was broken by his voice. "Excuse me, but who, exactly, is Taribel?"

Fluffy stopped dead in his tracks. "Taribel…" he began, his voice shaking, "Taribel is the reason I came to this city. Taribel is the reason I'm part of the Project. Taribel is the reason why I'm still alive."

He said no more, but walked on at a brisk pace, as if he expected Crick to understand anything he just said. Instead, it only made him more confused. He strongly doubted Fluffy would say anything about Taribel that made sense to him, so he decided to just keep walking. Maybe he would learn eventually. Maybe he wouldn't. Either way, there was no sense in asking any more about her.

**=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=**

Allinkin was bored.

Certainly, the unexpected day off was more than welcome. She thought of the time when she had been only a small child. In those days, when the hard, strenuous work in the Mines was taking its toll on her, she had often thought of how much easier it would be to just lie down and die, right there on the spot. But something had always pulled her through. She remembered how Crick always decided to work next to her. He had always seemed to be able to tell when she was having trouble with these thoughts, because he would tell her stories about the future. He would tell her about the day the Yoshis living in Sleeping Hall 79-B would break out of this place together. Then, when they were all older and stronger, they would come back and wipe out their captors once and for all. The Yoshis would be free once more, and they would take back their island, electing them as their eight kings and queens. They would be hailed as heroes. Their names would be written in history books so the children of future generations would be taught the story of how their species had once been free, but was then enslaved for hundreds of years, until eight ordinary Yoshis had saved them all. But to the children it would only be a story, for as they lived their happy lives on the reclaimed Yoshi's Island, they would not even begin to be able to imagine such a bad time had ever existed.

Sometimes, even now, she still liked to believe the story of a brighter future for all of their kind. However, it could not happen now. There were only seven Yoshis left in Sleeping Hall 79-B. Even worse: Crick, the only one among them who would lead them to glory with his contagious strong will and determination, was the missing number. None of them knew where he was, or if he was even still alive. Allinkin prayed he had not been found and killed.

She thought of the way he had always managed to find a way to keep things interesting whenever they got bored. He was always inventing some new game or pulling pranks on the other Sleeping Halls. Now he was gone. He had escaped without them. They sat here, finding some way to occupy themselves on the only day in their lives they were able to relax, but it wasn't the same without the turquoise joker. Allinkin quickly became bored without him.

Finally, she realized what she wanted to do. _**Crick,**_ she said in her mind, _**I'm coming to find you. And I'm bringing the rest of us with me.**_


End file.
